


Parks & Rec

by lunar47



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Don't Touch Lola, F/M, Introspection, POV Skye | Daisy Johnson, Realization of Feelings, the one in which handholding is everything
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-06
Updated: 2015-06-06
Packaged: 2018-04-03 04:32:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4086988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lunar47/pseuds/lunar47
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skye and Coulson get a chance to catch up after visiting with Skye’s father. Skye is surprised by her feelings for Coulson but even more surprised by his cryptic responses. Post season 2 finale</p>
            </blockquote>





	Parks & Rec

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Skyepilot](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skyepilot/gifts).



> This was a difficult season for shippers but I'm slowly coming back to the fandom. 
> 
> For Skyepilot because I've seen that person produce consistently good work from the very beginning when there were just a few of us around. I left for a while but they stayed.

Skye adjusted her side mirror, leaned back into Lola’s plush seats and pulled into the flow of traffic headed out of town. Seeing her father, especially since he had been Tahiti’d had been difficult but it had been for the best all around. It gave him the greatest shot at a productive future. And if later she visited with a stray kitten picked up on the side of the road, who could blame her.

Most of all she was glad that Coulson came with her. He had proven yet again that he was someone she could rely on through the whole mess with her mother and the Inhumans. They hadn’t had a chance to talk yet and she wanted to but she didn’t know how to start. She supposed she could just steal him aside one day and jump right into it. Hash everything out. Would he be amenable to that?

Well…she was going to find out. She had the wheel and there was nothing that Coulson as a passenger, a one handed one at that, could do about it. 

“You missed our turn off.” Coulson looked adorably puzzled as he watched the highway exit come and go. 

“Yeah about that…”

“Skye, what’s going on?” His voice instantly alert.

Worry gripped her at the thought that he may not entirely trust her anymore. She rushed to ease his mind, “it’s nothing boss. I just thought we could take some time to talk. Just…the two of us. You know, like the old days. We haven’t really done that in a while. I know I’ve been kind of absent.”

“Oh.”

Oh…that’s it. One word. 

“Is that okay?” Skye wants it to be okay with him. Wants him to want to talk to her.

“Sure,” He sounded agreeable.

“Okay then. We’ll…talk.”

“Now?”

“No, of course not. I can barely hear you over the sound of the road. Let me find a spot to pull over.”

Skye drove on for a bit before seeing a sign for a recreational day park. She followed the street signs and parked in the lot. The pair got out and wandered down a cement path weaving through the grass toward a couple of picnic tables and benches. They sat side by side and admired the view.

“Nice pond.”

“So yeah that was a really shitty thing my mom did.”

“Skye.” He looked at her and sighed.

“Sorry. I just…I don’t know what to say. Everything got so out of control. And so fast. I didn’t know what to believe, who to believe. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize Skye. Your mother was the one who had us all fooled. She played you, played on your sympathies, your desire to connect with her. That’s cold. She wanted a war and hopefully we stopped one from happening.”

“I didn’t realize how much I wanted that stereotypical family; mom, dad, the Sunday dinners. And I got some sick twisted version of that. People called my parents monsters and they were. They may have loved me but in a way they were every bit the monsters people described.” Skye turned her head away. She didn’t want Coulson to see that her eyes were welling up. It was more painful talking about them then she thought it was going to be.

She changed the subject, “But one good thing came out of all this. I know my power and I think I have better control over it. And I’ve met others like me. We’re not all like my mother or Gordon. Some of us were just born with it and when it gets activated we live with it. Granted most of those people wanted to “go through the mist” or whatever. But they’re not bad people. They just need guidance.”

“They should be-“

“Indexed. I know. But that’s such a S.H.I.E.L.D. way to approach these people. They don’t want to be catalogued or tagged, their movements tracked for eternity. I submitted to it but I didn’t exactly like it. Take it from me, it feels invasive. You barely feel like a person to S.H.I.E.L.D. God I was classified as an 0-8-4 before this. Like an object.”

“I remember. And I understand your misgivings but S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols are there for a reason.”

“But don’t you ever want to question them Coulson?” Skye turned to face her director, to appeal to something rebellious in Coulson’s nature deep down. “It’s not a holy organization. You don’t have to pray to it.”

“There’s so much about this world we don’t understand and the more we can learn about it the better prepared we can be in case the worst happens. We don’t want another New York or Sokovia.

“I don’t need answers direct from the handbook Coulson. What do you really think?” She was beginning to believe that she would never get a straight answer from him. That everything he said was coated in some kind of S.H.I.E.L.D. lining. “What about me? Do you think I’m dangerous? Do I belong on the Index along with those people my father broke out of confinement?”

Everything about him seemed to freeze. His eyes locked with hers and they looked conflicted. Finally he dropped his head to stare at his hand in his lap. “Skye, my head agrees with S.H.I.E.L.D. Someone like you, with your incredible power. Your gift, and it is a gift, should be indexed so we know in the future what we are dealing with.”

Her heart sank with his statement. It’s not that she logically 100% opposed being indexed but she wanted Coulson to feel that ambivalence with her.

“But…Skye,” He reached across her thigh to take her hand in his own. “It doesn’t mean it doesn’t worry me. I’m worried that it will someday make you a target to others…to enemies, to a S.H.I.E.L.D. organization that is less receptive to…diversity.”

Skye watched their joined hands, focused on the words coming out of his mouth. They were exactly what she needed to hear. She swallowed roughly and her chest felt heavy as she breathed in deeply. She placed her other hand on top of his and looked his way. His eyes were soft. They carried a surprising amount of emotion for Coulson. 

Out of nowhere, or at least it seemed that way to her, she had the sudden impulse to kiss him. She blinked and took a quick inventory of her body: rapid heart rate (check), sweaty palms (eww), fluttery feeling in her stomach (double check). How very, very, odd.

And now Coulson was looking at her strangely too. Did he want to kiss her as well?

“Are you trying to control your powers?” Coulson queried.

“What? No.” How could he be so off based? Was he blind? But maybe he didn’t want to kiss her. Maybe she was just embarrassingly alone in her little fantasies. 

Skye pulled away from Coulson, lest she embarrass herself further, crossed her legs and smoothed down her hair.

“So…how’s the arm?” Trying to casually change the subject. 

Coulson’s mouth gaped, rather like a fish, then he closed it (probably perplexed by the rapid course change in conversation) before he replied. “It’s still gone.”

“Right.” Skye nodded. “Any updates on when you are getting a new one?”

“People don’t just get new arms Skye.”

“Yeah but I thought S.H.I.E.L.D. could do anything. They kind of brought you back from the dead.”

“I suppose.”

“Coulson you were pretty dead."

He nodded slowly in agreement though seeming uncomfortable, "As a doornail." Then continued more assuredly, “Things will happen when they happen. In the meantime I’m learning not to take things for granted.”

“That’s very wise, A.C.”

They both paused to look out at the pond for a while. Then Skye slapped her palms on her thighs and made to stand up, “Well that’s all that I had. I’m good if you are.”

“Wait a minute,” He put his hand on her arm to hold her back. She sat back down and faced him. 

“Skye, we’ve never really talked about this but I feel like family is what you make of it. And even though we’ve been a bit fractured as of late our little group, May, Jemma, Fitz you and me…we’re family.”

“I feel that way too, sir.”

“Yes…But…I’m not…I’m not explaining myself right,” He seemed agitated. Like he was looking for the right words and was coming up empty. He reached up to caress her cheek with his good hand, “Skye, you’re the closest thing I have in my life to family. The only thing that counts. Do you understand?”

“I’m not sure. You’re being rather cryptic.”

Coulson leaned in and Skye for sure thought he was going to lock lips with her but instead he kissed her cheek, his hand still caressing the side of her head.  
“Things will happen when they happen Skye.” And then he got up and walked down the path toward Lola, master of the brilliantly timed exit.

Skye thrummed her fingers on the bench and pursed her lips in thought. What the hell was that about? How can he leave her aroused and confused all at once? What did that mean “Things will happen when they happen”? Were actual sexy things going to happen with Coulson? Did she want that or was it just a passing fancy? And most of all were they just supposed to be silent for the rest of the car trip back? 

Groaning she got up from the bench and made the trek back to the car. Coulson was leaning against the passenger side, looking cool with his dark shades on. Skye raised her eyebrows and unlocked the door for him. Then she swung around to her side and got in the driver’s seat. 

“I’m going to pretend like I understood everything that happened back there and that I’m a patient person and can wait for whatever it is I’m apparently waiting for…okay?”

“Okay Skye,” He laughed.

“But we’re good, right?” She wanted to know, suddenly serious.

“Yes, we’re good.”

“I’m glad.” She turned the ignition, put the car in reverse and backed out of the spot. Putting the car in drive she left the parking lot and made her way back to the main road.

“Thank you for taking me to see my father by the way.” 

“You’re welcome.” He replied earnestly.

“You wouldn’t by chance happen to know the S.H.I.E.L.D. policy on having pets in The Playground would you?

“Skye.” His exasperated sigh said it all.

“Just kidding.” She smiled sweetly at him and focused on the long drive back.


End file.
